February

Taking a closer look: Visiting graduate programs

Before you apply
After you have applied, but before you have been admitted
After you have been admitted, but before you have accepted

Before you apply

If you are planning to visit campus before you apply, find out all you can ahead of time about the basics: types of programs, location, cost, and applicant requirements. Coming prepared ensures the likelihood that you'll have a profitable visit and allows you to maximize your time on campus and with faculty. Study the university and department websites to formulate questions and topics you would like to explore further when you visit. After your initial research, call and schedule your visit with the departments and offices you would like to visit (most universities do not have a central office that will schedule appointments for you).

Campus visits as a prospective student may not provide much in-depth information or many appointments. Faculty may be less willing to invest time talking about the department and program if they aren't sure how serious you are about graduate school or their department. Rarely will departments provide travel assistance for students who have not yet applied. However, a visit during this early stage is a great way to gather information without any pressure and may help you narrow down your choices, thus reducing the number of applications you submit (and saving you some money in application fees!).

Visiting before you apply also affords the opportunity to ask about the application process, find out how you can position yourself to become a competitive applicant, and learn how to secure funding. In addition to meeting with faculty and students from the departments or programs you are considering, visit the graduate school office, too. For example, the UNL Graduate Studies Office provides tours of the facilities most frequented by graduate students and gives an overview of the services we offer. We can talk to you about our professional development workshops, the Preparing Future Faculty program, funding opportunities, life in Lincoln, and the general campus environment. Recruitment staffs are helpful and willing to spend time answering questions and showing you around.

After you have applied, but before you have been admitted

Visiting after you have applied but before you have been admitted gives you a chance to impress your potential colleagues, particularly those on the admissions committee. During this stage in the application process, visits tend to be more structured, longer in duration and more formal. Some departments will even let your visit serve as a part of the application process or interview. Typically you will be assigned a student host who will pick you up at the airport, escort you to your appointments, take you to lunch, and so forth. Your appointments will likely include meetings with faculty, current students, and office staff or lab managers where you could be working as a graduate assistant. Other events could be planned, as well, like a department symposium or colloquium, dinner at a faculty member's home, lunch with current graduate students, and tours of the town and campus.

The department knows you are serious and will expect you to come to the visit prepared. Instead of just browsing university and department websites, spend time researching faculty, department programs, and the institution. Treat the upcoming visit like an interview for a job. Read about departmental research or faculty publications, and make notes about faculty with whom you may be meeting.

Come prepared with questions for current students, too. They will be able to offer first-hand accounts of what life is like as a graduate student in that particular department.

This is all great face time to give you a chance to impress the department, but it also is their opportunity to impress you. Don't hesitate to ask for additional appointments or to meet with someone outside of the regular schedule. Because you may not be on campus again until you begin the program, maximize your time. If you will be relocating with your spouse or family, make a list of things that concern you about such a move. Ask about school systems, places of employment, cost of living, housing options, places of worship, specialty stores — grocery or otherwise. Don't leave the visit without the name of someone to call if you have further questions. Spend time at the graduate school office and learn about the resources and services available to graduate students, grant writing workshops, teaching observations, fellowships for continuing students, and so on.

Funding policies for campus visits vary, so be sure to ask if the university provides travel assistance and what will be covered. Perhaps you will have to pay the bulk of your travel expenses, but meals during your visit will be provided. Ask for recommendations about hotels or inquire about staying with another student in the department. Your one to two days on campus will be busy; come prepared to make an impression.

After you have been admitted, but before you have accepted

Now that you have been admitted, you can truly "try the school on." A visit to your department now means that you will have the opportunity to meet with your potential advisor or mentor and discuss your research interests. You also will meet potential colleagues and other graduate students with whom you may share office space or work with on projects. You can discuss what to expect once you have accepted the offer, registering for classes, orientation, and more details of getting started as a student at the institution.

You've already been accepted, so it's clear the department wants you; this visit gives the department a chance to impress you. It's likely the department will provide some or all travel assistance. Be sure to clarify what will and will not be covered and what types of documentation you will need for reimbursement. If you want to meet specific people or tour specific facilities, ask in advance to have those meetings set up for you. Consider a lunch with current graduate students, sitting in on a course you might teach, getting information about student organizations you might join, meeting with people in specialization areas or special interest groups. And don't forget to spend time off campus as well, getting to know the community and looking for housing. Call a local realtor for a tour of housing options in your price range or coordinate with a current student to tour some apartments. This type of information can save hours of online searching and another trip back to the city or town.

A visit during this time in the process may come closest to letting you know what life would be like if you accepted the offer, but it also may be the most stress-inducing. The national acceptance deadline set by the Council of Graduate Schools is April 15, so don't let departments and faculty pressure you for acceptance decisions while you are visiting.

A campus visit at this stage can be longer and more involved, as the department tries to show you everything. Ask for your tentative schedule ahead of time and communicate with your host or department about your expectations and what you hope to accomplish during your trip. Request changes before your arrival. Over-scheduling or pressure to make decisions can overshadow your visit. Plan something fun and enjoy your time at the university and in the city — it just may be home for the next two to seven years.